Guidelines To Staying Alive
by tyrustrash
Summary: In order to cope with everything in his life, Harry Potter dreams of a fantasy world. If only reality weren’t so cruel as to constantly remind him this fantasy is just imagination. *TW- and summary sucks but oh dear lord it’s a good story*


**_Warning, rated Mature for a reason- very very very strong trigger warning. This story contains very deep topics including abuse, depression, self harm, and suicide. If these trigger you at all, PLEASE do not read, the last thing I want is to upset anybody! _**

**If you are still here, hello :) This story is rather deep- the first chapter is going to be a story set-up, it will kind of get you ready and mentally prepared for the rest of the story, so this is not how the rest of the chapters will be written! Yes, I will of course be continuing my other books! I am very dedicated and have many plans for all three. I multitask like crazy, and this story is more of a "I write this to vent" type story. **

**Only the wonderful genius J.K. Rowling owns Harry Potter- I own nothing about it, so please don't sue me, I'm broke as heck. Enjoy the story, and don't kill me :)**

Oh how Harry Potter wished his story would begin with "Once upon a time...". But he learned the hard way- life is nowhere near a fairytale.

And so it began after Harry's first birthday. What was an innocent drive to the park became a car pileup- four dead. Lily and James Potter, the one year old's dear parents, included. After all this time, what still made Harry's blood boil, the truck driver from Peter's Auto Co. who caused the accident walks free.

From there, Child Protective Services placed Harry in the care of his late mother's sister and her family named the Dursley's. It had been set that the child's godfather would take him in. However, alcohol seemed to have a different plan, landing his godfather in far too many rehabilitation centers.

As young Harry aged a meek year of six, his cousin Dudley decided it would be alright to play with knives. Having successfully trapped Harry under his stronger grip, this cousin carved a small lightning shape into the poor boy's forehead. Nobody seemed to believe a small child to be capable of hurting another as Dudley had, so the wretched bully got nothing more than a 'no knives' lecture. From this, Harry learned to avoid his cousin however possible. Dudley seemed to let him be at times. His aunt and uncle hadn't been so kind seeing as Harry was seemingly always cleaning or being lectured by them. His time to himself was spent locked away either under the stairs or in a small room, daydreaming or just dreaming about a fantasy world. The rest of the moments were spent doing his aunt and uncle's bidding, or being tossed around by Dudley and his friends.

Harry Potter saw his first ray of light in so long when he met his best friends Ron and Hermione in first grade. The Trio immediately knew they cared about each other, and vowed to be friends forever. They grew up together, and went through many hardships. Hermione Granger, a brown-haired young girl. Shy but stubborn, kind but fierce, and sensitive but strong. She, an only child, lived with her grandmother- her parents were far too busy and invested in their work. They divorced when Hermione was four. Ron Weasley, the strangest, youthful, red-headed boy. Loyal, soft-spoken, and brave. He too, was an only child, but always wished he had a large family. Ron lived with his parents.

In grade seven, Harry Potter ended up befriending Cedric Diggory, grade eleven. The two were almost as inseparable as the Trio.

None of the Trio necessarily had much self-esteem. Hermione believed that just because she had to have braces and glasses, that they made her less beautiful. Ron thought his red hair to be something of a burden- he hated to stand out to people. Harry despised his scar, which looked like dark, angry, lines forever cutting his pale skin. The group grew up together in a world of being bullied for their differences. Just because other children did not see them as normal.

Nevertheless, one of their bullies in particular by the name Draco Malfoy- a platinum blonde-haired, cunning, private boy in the Trio's grade-, was about to have all of his secrets released. As they advanced to grade eight, Cedric to grade twelve, Draco Malfoy's perfect attendance was obstructed.

The bully's absence shocked their grade, he never missed.

Confusion soon dialed down after the third day, when many saw either on news or in person, policemen leaving the Malfoy house. Two policemen in particular holding Draco's father, Lucius Malfoy, in handcuffs. Word was spread like wildfire- Mr. Malfoy had been taken into custody for countless reports of child abuse. Whispers quickly grew into words, some of which grew into jokes. Mrs. Malfoy lost custody of her child.

After one week of absence, Draco had returned. It was then, after taking in his emotionally empty and damaged appearance, that Harry Potter made amends with Draco Malfoy. All because he understood why Draco used to do what he did.

Some time later, they both told each other their own stories, and Harry learnt that Draco was currently in a foster home. When the Trio began including Draco more, Hermione too found this fact out. Almost immediately, she was invested in research and books on foster care. When asked why, she couldn't really give an answer- she just felt she should help someone in some way. The Trio and Draco all felt slightly more content now that they had each other. Taunting and bullying had lessened for all four, basically causing a mental sigh of relief on all of them.

There was peace. Until there wasn't.

It all went downhill once more when Harry showed up to school with a large colorful bruise forming on his jawline. He was relentlessly questioned by Ron, Hermione, Draco, and even Cedric, all day. Finally, at the end of the day he gave in and told his concerned friends that 'It was just Dudley and his dumb followers again'. Hearing this, Hermione and Cedric were devastated, asking what they could do to help. Ron and Draco were livid, Ron asking where Dudley was so he could 'give him a taste of his own medicine'.

Nobody believed Ron was serious. Except when the next day came around, Harry was confronted by Dudley about two hours after school had ended. 'Control your freak of a friend next time.'- all Harry needed to hear before rushing out of the front door. He knew where his cousin and the other idiots hung out after school.

Entering the usually pretty vacant park, he spotted a hunched over figure with bright red hair. Running over, Harry's fear was confirmed as he saw Ron's eyes meet his.

They kept eye contact for a moment before Harry quickly sat beside his best friend, eyes taking in the damage.

Ron had a dark black eye over the right side of his face, split bottom and top lip causing blood to pool in his mouth, a bruise or two on his arms, and a harsh mark near his collarbone, mostly covered by his t-shirt. Harry would ask about that later, but for now he had to get Ron somewhere less public so they wouldn't have to deal with people.

Two months passed. The daily harassment had returned for all four of them.

Cedric Diggory grew more and more weary, and Harry noticed. He constantly asked Cedric what was wrong, but he never told him. He constantly pried- but Cedric never told him. The four of them kept trying to help Cedric as well as each other, but nothing worked. Until one day, when Cedric broke and told them all what was happening. He had gotten stuck into a world of drugs. And eventually, it caught up to him, he was unable to pay back what he owed to some jerks he bought from.

Threats looming all around him, he was always worried. Harry desperately wanted to help, but Cedric told him there was nothing he could do.

One day, as Harry was cleaning the Dursley's kitchen after dinner, he heard a far too familiar name on his Uncle's television. '...later identified as seventeen year old Diggory, Cedric, more information...'. The boy spun around to see what his Uncle Vernon was watching, and his heart shattered just like the plate he had been holding as it hit the floor. Not caring about the mess or his Uncle's shouting, he helplessly watched what was appearing on the news- Cedric Diggory had been murdered.

By some miracle, Uncle Vernon had stopped his shouts and insults long enough to realize why Harry was so unresponsive. He excused his nephew to his room instead of forcing him to clean after the plate. Harry would have been more grateful, but all he could do was go up to his room and break down in sobs. He would never understand why the world was so cruel. Why everyone and everything seemed out to get him, and everyone he cared about. When would it end? Why couldn't it be more like how it was in his imagination- that wonderful world with happy endings and magic that could solve their issues? This world of his was a safe place for his mind to wander, and his dreams to take place. But now, nothing would be able to reassure him reality would get better. After Cedric, he'd never believe real life was even remotely okay again. Once he regained a very small bit of composure, Harry phoned his other friends and informed them of what happened, knowing full well none of them had the news channel. Known of them could ever be the same again.

It was during the second week of ninth grade that Draco found out. He walked into the school's boy's room to find his friend Ron Weasley bleeding. Blood traced over his arms, flowing out of cuts, almost every inch of skin on Ron's forearms sliced or scarred. Panic flooded Draco who locked the door behind him and rushed over to his friend. The two cleaned his arms, and Ron told Draco why he did it. Ron made him swear to never say anything, which hurt Draco even further to agree to. The two both broke much more that day.

Ron Weasley promised he never would do that to himself again, and Draco made sure he told him the truth.

However, Ronald Weasley eventually broke his largest promise made. Draco walked into the restroom once again after a month since, to find his friend on the floor with a piece of paper near him.

The ambulances didn't come fast enough.

The small pulse Draco so frantically found didn't stay beating long enough.

'... identified as Weasley, Ronald, more information to...'

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**Please don't kill me yet :) *review, rate, and yes, I'm crying too***


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